Buddhist Temporalities (Amendment)

BE it enacted by the Parliament of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka as follows :

[12th March
, 1981 ]

Short title and date of operation.

1. This Act may be cited as the Buddhist Temporalities (Amendment) Act, No. 18 of 1981, and shall come into operation on such date (hereinafter referred to as the ” appointed date “) as the Minister by Order published in the Gazette may appoint.

Amendment of section 12 of Chapter 318.

2. Section 12 of the Buddhist Temporalities Ordinance (hereinafter referred to as the “principal enactment”) is hereby amended by the substitution for the proviso to that section of the following new proviso :

” Provided that

(a) the period of office of a Diyawadana Nilame shall be ten years; and

(b) the period of office of a Basnayake Nilame may be extended by the President, if he is of opinion that it will be conducive to the efficient management of the property of a temple, for a period of one year at a time, so however, that the aggregate of such periods shall not exceed two years. “,

3. Every Basnayake Nilame holding office on the day immediately preceding the appointed date shall

(a)where he has held such office for a period of five to years or more on the appointed date, cease to hold such office on the expiration of a period of one week office from the appointed date, unless the President has extended his period of office ; and

(b) on completion of a period of five years from the date of his appointment to such office, cease to hold such office unless the President has extended his period of office :

Provided however that, where such person completes a period of five years in such office within a period of one wool from the appointed date he shall on the expiration of a period of one week from the appointed date cease to hold such office, unless the President has extended his period of office.